Entries tagged with: JamesPlotkin

"Back from Brooklyn. Full of Oasis falafel and grape leaves. Neurosis blew my mind and ears. Easily the loudest set I've seen a band play." - @HolyShitJustin

Neurosis @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple 1/19

Neurosis made a triumphant return to NYC over the weekend when they headlined a sold out show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple on Saturday (1/19), the same spot they played with Mastodon the last time they were in NYC, almost exactly five years ago. Neurosis are now without their graphic artist, so the lack of visuals may have made the room bit less ominous than it was five years ago (not to say it wasn't still totally life threatening) but the band still ripped like no other. Their 11-song, hour and a half encore-less set was bookended by two Through Silver in Blood tracks ("Eye" to open, "Locust Star" to close), and in between they focused entirely on their atmospheric, Steve Albini-produced era, relying most heavily on their two most recent albums, 2007's Given to the Rising and 2012's Honor Found in Decay.

People have varying definitions on what "heavy" music is, but if their albums don't already, it's undeniable that Neurosis' shows carry the weight of the word. They tore through boulder-crushing chords, razor-in-throat screams, and a storm-approaching atmosphere that you could feel in your bones (and eardrums). Some moshed, others headbanged in place, and others just watched in awe as the band delivered. There were some moments to breathe during the set, like the post-rock passage of "My Heart For Deliverance" and the half-sung intro of "The Tide," but moments like those are equal in intensity to the heavy sections, and are part of what keeps Neurosis so consistently interesting. They never let up during the set to talk to the crowd, and it was rarely ever silent, even while tuning their guitars. Just an onslaught of peaks and valleys that had command over the crowd throughout the entire set.

The show opened with an industrial drone set from No Fun bossCarlos Giffoni and an experimental guitar/drum/sampler duo set from James Plotkin and Tim Wyskida, who were both members of Khanate. More pictures from the show, Neurosis' setlist, and a video of them playing "At the Well" (via (((unartig)))) below...

As announced some weeks back, Hydra Head has come to a difficult juncture in our existence and the future of the label is precarious... We've arrived at the conclusion that it is no longer possible for us to continue releasing new albums, but rather than shut the label down completely, we're hoping to be able to continue in a capacity that would allow us to preserve and perpetuate our catalog of works by the large cast of truly amazing and groundbreaking artists we've been lucky enough to work with over the years. In order to do this we're asking for help from anyone and everyone that would like to see the label continue and who is willing to support us in this effort. This is not however a request for charity - we would like to offer something in exchange for whatever level of funding our potential benefactors (that is you), are willing to bestow upon us.

Hydra Head is currently offering a plaethora of goods ranging from guitar heads to test presses to stickers to original artwork and everything in between as incentive to keep classic records by bands like Botch, Oxbow, Torche, and many many others alive and in print. Head to the Hydra Head fundraiser page and pick up something, or you can just donate.

Meanwhile, Aaron Turner of Hydra Head / SIGE / Mamiffer / Old Man Gloom fame has dropped off his musings on music in 2012 in list form. Check that out below.

The inaugural Utech Festival went down over the weekend (on 6/11), in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It featured a deep lineup of bands that spanned the experimental, electronic, drone, noise, and ambient genres. The festival, spearheaded by the label of the same name, saw BV faves Horseback as headliners. Locrian (who produced the amazing The Crystal World) provided direct support, and the festival also featured Mamiffer, House of Low Culture (both of which contained Aaron turner of ex-Isis fame), James Plotkin, Jon Mueller, Gog, William Fowler Collins, Ural Umbo, RM74, and NYC's own Ithi. Pictures from the festival are in this post and continue below.

Horseback recently released The Gorgon Tongue via Relapse, a compilation of previous releases Impale Golden Horn and Forbidden Planet LPs into a single set. The band also recently posted a video for "Blood Fountain" which you can also watch below...

Turns out the whole "big things, small packages" thing is not just a way for your family to cheat you on birthday gifts. Case and point: Kat from Salome. This pint-sized terror could scare the "grrr" off a tiger with the ferocious voice showcased on two recent releases, Salome's self-titled debut and the coming Agorapocalypse by ANb (due via Relapse on April 14th). A few weeks ago, Salome scared the pants off us at Show No Mercy and as a result, we felt it necessary to confer with said instigator using a few choice interrogatives. Check 'em out below.

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How long has Salome been in existence? What were the circumstances behind the formation?

We started playing together in 2006. I met Aaron at a music store and we started talking about music and realized that we liked a lot of the same stuff. We were both interested in doing a doom type project. Rob and Aaron had played together in other bands before Salome, so we started jamming and the fit was really natural.